Officials Hold Groundbreaking for New Wood County Jail

Wednesday, October 19th, 2022 -- 9:01 AM

(Karen Madden, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune) Officials celebrated Tuesday the beginning of a new jail project, despite bids to build it coming in more than $30 million more than the original estimate.

According to Karen Madden with Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, in early 2021, the Wood County Board approved the building of a new Wood County Jail at an anticipated cost of $58 million.

Although the amount was the best estimate, members of the Wood County Jail Construction Ad Hoc Committee and Wood County Board Chairman Lance Pliml warned in March that inflation would likely make the cost higher.

However, when the bids for the project came in last month, the committee and county board members were surprised by the $98 million cost estimate, Jail Construction Ad Hoc Committee Chairwoman Laura Valenstein said.

Valenstein, who also is the Wood County Board vice chairwoman, said the bids came in around $89 million, but the committee added a contingency fund to the estimates. County officials and the project manager hope to work with the companies that do the work to bring down the costs, but it won't be $58 million, Valenstein said.

The scope of the project has not changed since March, Valenstein said. Inflation, supply chain issues and worker shortages all have driven up the costs. It also is unlikely the cost of commercial construction will go down, she said.

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